How to Save a Life
by lostfan08
Summary: Another Charlie/Claire fanfic. Takes place after "Fire Water". Claire tries to rekindle their friendship, and maybe something more...rating for language and suggestive themes.
1. Before

How to save a life.---

Story set after "Fire Water". Another Charlie/Claire fanfic.

Rating for language and suggestive themes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Charlie, Claire, or anything Lost. :(

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"Previously on Lost." 

Charlie takes Aaron and walks away.

"Charlie, what are you doing?!"Claire says following him.

"I'm doing what I have to do."Charlie starts to run away.

"He's got my baby!! Stop it!" Claire screams as she runs after him.

"No, Claire, it's alright. It's not --"

"Charlie, stop! Help! Somebody help! He's got my baby!!"

"I just wanted to save him!" Locke comes over.

"Charlie! Give me the baby." he tells Charlie.

"Eko, tell them. Tell them, Eko. Tell them what you told me -- that the baby has to be baptized." Charlie screams to Eko.

"This is not the way." Eko replies.

"Charlie, come on, give him to me."Locke says slowly walking towards him.

"Who the hell are you, John? Aaron's not your responsibility. Where were you when he was born? Where were you when he was taken? You're not his father. You're not his family." Charlie says turning to Locke.

"Neither are you, Charlie."Locke replies.

"I have to do this. I need to. I'm not going to hurt him."Charlie says turning to Claire.

"You're hurting me, Charlie."she replies.

Locke takes the baby.

"Claire, I'm sorry. Claire."

Locke punches Charlie 3 times, very hard. Charlie falls.

**End.**

Claire sits next to Aaron's cradle, rocking it slowly. It is daytime, Charlie is across the beach trying to put a tent together. Sawyer approaches.

"Well, well, now look who had to relocate to the suburbs."

Charlie looks up but doesn't respond.

"Ain't that just like a woman? She keeps the house and you get the cheap-ass apartment. Man, I thought these people hated me, but I've got to hand it to you -- stealing a baby, trying to drown it -- now, that's a new low. You even made Locke take a swing at you. Hell, that's like getting Gandhi to beat his kids."

Charlie looks over and replies, "Shouldn't you be more worried about Jack ransacking your tent right now?"

"What?" Sawyer looks over, "Son of a bitch." he heads toward Jack, "What do you think you're doing?"

Charlie smiles. He continues to put his tent. Hurley enters.

"Yo."

"What do you want Hurley?"

"Aww...nothin...just checking on you."

"Checking on me? For who?"

"Oh ugh...Cla...me." he says sitting down.

"So you're checking on me, for you?"

"Ugh...sure."

"Right...are you sure about that Hurley?" he says sitting down next to Hurley.

"No..."

Charlie smiles.

"Okay fine, Claire wanted me to check on you to make sure you're alright."

Charlie starts to laugh. "You can tell her, I don't need to be checked on, I'm perfectly fine on my own..." he looks over towards Claire, "now her on the other hand...might need some checking on." he said pointing to Claire sitting with a fussing Aaron.

Hurley quickly gets up, "later dude"

"Bye."

Claire is trying to calm Aaron down.

"It's alright honey, calm down, shhhhsh."

"Whaaaaaaaaa!!!"

"Aaron you need to go to sleep now...shhhhsh".

"Hey. How's...ugh...the baby?" Hurley says approaching.

"Hey Hurley. He's just fussing again...I don't understand...I feed him...rocked him...but he just won't sleep. Charlie always used to...never mind."

"He's fine...you know? Charlie? He said he's fine."

"Sure...yea..." she replies looking over at Charlie ripping off his tent tarp.

"Bloody hell!" he screams trying to get the tarp to cover his small frame of a tent.

"Later Claire...and little island baby." Hurley says walking away.

"Bye." Claire replies laughing. She looks over at Charlie again. He sits alone with his tarp blowing away. She sighs.

After about an hour, it's dark and Aaron is sleeping. Charlie sits by the fire eating alone.

"Hey." Claire says sitting down about a yard away from Charlie.

He looks up, "Oh...ugh...hi." he says quietly, unlike his usual happy, loud way. She stares at him.

"How's your...wound?" she said reaching for his face. She gently touched it. He squirmed a little and then she realized he was uncomfortable with her hand on his face and quickly pulled away.

"I'm sorry for...kicking you out...you know...it's just...I can't have you...so involved with Aaron...I mean...when we get off this island...I...we..may never see you again. I just don't want him to become attached to you...like a father...because...you're not." he finally looks up at her. "and...you're a...well you know." she said referencing his drug addiction.

"I guess you're not going to talk...hmm?", she asked looking down. "alright I'm going to go...to sleep I guess...'night Charlie." she said getting up.

He grabs her arm.

"I'm not using anymore...Claire? Don't you believe me?". He said looking up at her. She looks right down into his eyes.

"I want to." with that, she leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Goodnight Charlie."

"Goodnight." he turned around and watched her walk away.

Her tent is only a couple yards from the fire. He went over to his tent, and grabbed all the blankets he had...which was only 3. All of which were thin airline blankets. He had given all the thick blankets to Claire when he became friends with her. He also grabbed his two bags and his guitar. He put his belongings a couple feet away from Claire's tent, next to a tree and laid down the blankets next to her tent and the fire. Then he laid down on top of the blankets and pulled up his hoodie. Shivering, he tried to reach out to the fire.

Claire was inside her tent facing the entrance and saw Charlie. She smiled as he tried to make a bed and put his belongings next to her tent. After a half hour, she sat up, grabbed a couple of blankets, and slowly walked over to him. She laid it over him and tucked him into it. He turned around surprised to see Claire.

"Wha...what are you doing?"

"Shh...it's okay Charlie...I just wanted to bring you a blanket." she said calmly as she wrapped him with another blanket. "I thought you might be cold." she said sitting up next to him.

He sat up with the blankets wrapped around him. They just sat there for a couple of minutes before Claire started to shiver. He hesitantly put his arm up and wrapped it around Claire. She leaned in closer to Charlie and slowly put her head on his shoulder. He smiled and pulled her up closer and wrapped the blanket around her feet.

"...thanks Charlie." she said into his chest.

" 'Welcome, here." he said pulling her up and wrapping the whole blanket around her. "Why are you here, Claire?" now he was without a blanket and sat there with his arms around his knee's.

"I don't...Charlie..."she said turning to him. "I...I miss you..."

"I miss you too Claire. But...I thought you didn't want me around..A..Aaron?"

She sighed. "Well Charlie, I thought about it...and I just...I want you to come back...I haven't...you haven't been here for 2 weeks...and I just miss..you...and I'm pretty sure Aaron does too."She said smiling. "Come on...let's go to bed...I know you're cold out here." She said getting up and offered her hand. "Please, Charlie?" He smiled and grabbed her hand.

"Okay." he said lingering over the word.

They walked over to her tent and Charlie went to grab his stuff.

"You can...sleep here" she said pointing to the only bed in her tent.

"Where are you going to sleep?" He asked concerned. She smiled. _"Why doesn't he get it?"_ she pondered.

"Charlie..I meant...for you to sleep with me..." he had a scared look on his face. She started to laugh. "I didn't mean that."

"Oh...ugh...right."he said blushing.

"It's okay, Charlie." she said climbing into the bed.

"Yeah." he said nervously laying down next to her.

"Goodnight Charlie." she said turning to face him.

"'Night Claire." he said turning around and facing the entrance/exit. Anytime he felt uncomfortable he could slip out the door and then everything would be fine, he thought in his head.

She noticed he was very far over and barely had any blanket. "Charlie?"

"Yeah?" he said half turning around.

"Why are you way over there? You don't have any blanket!" she said scooting over to him with her blanket reaching out towards him. He could feel his face getting warm and then hot when as she scooted closer. "I don't have cooties Charlie." she said laughing. "Come here." he could feel her breath on his neck. He turned around to see Claire, with her beautiful eyes staring back at him. She pulled the blanket over him and put an arm on his shoulder to pull herself closer. She hugged him and laid her head next to his. He didn't do anything, just stared at her, surprised at what she was doing.

"That's better." she said nuzzling her head into his neck.

"Cl...Claire?" he asked as she pulled back.

"What?" she replied as she put her hand on his face gently rubbing his wound. "Is something wrong?"

"No...every thing's, fine."

"Good, cause you had me wor"

She was cut off by Charlie's lips. He kissed her. _He_ kissed _her. _She was surprised at first, but then soon realized what was happening. It was quick. Only a few seconds. He pulled back and looked at her. She had a blank look on her face, it soon turned to worry and confusion.

"Claire, I..I'm sorry I thought that you...I'm sorry I couldn't help myself I just." He quickly rose and flew out of the tent. She just sat there watched him leave and then sat back and turned around. She ran through it over and over again. From the time he kissed her to the time he was gone, was about 10 seconds. It was so quick she didn't even have time to retaliate. She took a deep breath and let out a huge sigh.

Meanwhile Charlie laid down on his bed. Thinking about what he had done. _"What's wrong with you Charlie? She just let you back into her and Aaron's life, and then you goes and ruin it. What the hell is wrong with me?" _He tossed and turned for a couple hours until he finally fell asleep.

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End Chapter One.

Please review if you want me to continue!!!

lostfan08


	2. Chapter 2

Finally Chapter 2!!!

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Chapter 2

Charlie has been avoiding Claire for the past couple of days. He wouldn't even glance in her direction, because he was worried they would get back together and then he would mess it all up again like he had done so many times before.

Charlie now sits alone on the beach, staring into the water. He's not a very good swimmer but he wanted to go into the ocean so he got up took off his shirt and shoes and ran into the water. He got hit by one really big wave, that made him fall back. He started laughing and then made his best attempt to swim. Claire was watching him this whole time. She knew he couldn't swim and had a concerned look on her face.

She looked down at Aaron.

"Oh...Aaron why does life have to be so complicated."

He just looked back at her and then pointed his finger behind Claire, then started to fall asleep.

Claire looked back looking for Charlie but didn't see him. Her heart sank.

"Chh..Charlie?" she said quietly to herself. She started to walk towards the water looking both ways for him. No Charlie. "Charlie?" she said a little louder. Just then she saw him floating on his stomach not moving.

"HELP!!! SOMEBODY HELP!!!"

"What is it Claire?" Jack asked running towards her.

"It's Charlie! He's out there!!!" she said pointing to him.

"Oh my god. Okay stay here. Stay calm, I'll go get him." Jack said removing his shirt and shoes.

"Hurry Jack!!!" she said pacing back and forth.

Jack ran into the water and swam as fast as he could out to Charlie.

"Charlie!!!" he shouted getting closer. He finally reached him. "Charlie are you okay?" He didn't respond. Jack quickly wrapped Charlie's arm around him and swam as fast as he could back to shore. Kate met him once he was in shallow water helping bring him in. They laid him down on the sand and Claire ran over to Charlie and sat next to him. Jack started CPR on him and Claire held his hand. After a couple minutes he managed to get him back.

"Charlie!" Jack shouted

He started spitting out water and then he raised his head for water Claire was giving him.

"It's okay Charlie." Claire soothed him as he drank.

Then his head fell back and Jack and Michael picked him up and brought him to his tent.

"He's going to need some rest now." he told Claire as they sat by him.

"He's going to be alright though?"

"Yeah...he's going to be fine."

"Thanks Jack...for saving him."

"You're welcome." he said getting up and leaving.

"Bye." she said as he waved.

She turned her attention to Charlie now...lifeless Charlie.

"It's okay Charlie. You're going to be alright." she said rubbing his hand.

He opened his eyes.

"Cll..Claire?"

"Charlie! You're awake."

"Mmm." he said trying to get up. He immediately sat back down once he felt the pain in his left leg.

"I...I think my leg is broken." he said trying to reach it.

"What? No! It can't be she said looking down at it.

"Go get Jack."

She got up and ran over to Jack.

"Jack! Jack! His leg is hurting!"

"Well...it's definitely broken." he said after a couple minute evaluation. "You won't be able to walk until...oh about a month."

"A month?" Claire asked worried.

"Yeah...sorry...we can get you those crutches if you'd like?"

"Sure..." Charlie replied.

"Alright...get feeling better Charlie." Jack said exiting the tent.

"Do you want to see Aaron?" Claire asked pushing the hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah...I would...thanks."

She got up and went over to Sun's tent where she was taking care of Aaron.

"Can I borrow him for a minute?" she asked walking in.

"Of course you can...he's your baby." she said smiling and handing her Aaron.

"Thanks."

"Here you go Aaron...go to Charlie now." Claire said handing Charlie the baby.

"Oh hey there little guy." he said taking the baby. Claire watched as he wrapped the blanket around him tighter...something Locke taught them. He sat there for a couple minutes playing with Aaron.

"Charlie?" she asked looking at him.

"...Yeah?" he asked looking at Aaron but listening to her.

"You're going to be fine."

"Of course I am, Claire."

"I was so worried about you when I saw you on your stomach...What happened out there Charlie?"

"...All I remembered was swimming and then my leg got stuck somehow and then I hit something and blacked out."

"...I'm sorry."

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong Claire."

"Yes I did. I'm the one who made you go out there. Because you were mad at me."

"I wasn't mad, I just wanted to go for a swim."

"It's okay...Charlie." she said taking Aaron.

"But I."

"You need to rest now Charlie." she said as she put Aaron on her hip. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to go put Aaron down."

With that she walked away. She put Aaron back in his crib to leave Sun to babysit, and went back to Charlie. She sat down next to his bed and rubbed his face with the back of her hand. He was sleeping. She then leaned down and kissed him, but this time on the lips. It was a short sweet kiss. He woke up surprised to see Claire kissing him. She was about to pull back but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a deeper kiss, that lasted what seemed like forever to Claire. Finally Claire pulled back and sat and looked at Charlie holding hands with him, both smiling until he fell alseep.

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End of Chapter 2!!!

More to come so please review!!!


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